Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1887-06-03
VIRGINIA AND
EASTERN KENTUCKY.

PSI I1 trfi'is 49, n.
Baltimore is deeply interested in
the development of that immense sec.
ton of county, composed of South.
west Virginia, Eastern Kentucky and
East Tennessee. There is probably
no area of country OF equal size any
where on the globe possessing greater
natural resources. Not only is it a
magnificent agricultural country, hav.
ing advantages for diversified farm,
ing,- cattle raising and similar occupa.
tions, but its wealth Of minerals and
timber is almost beyond calculation.
This section is now just entering oil
era of progress, that will almost un.
doubleday attract as worldwide at
tention as the magical growth OF AL.
ALBANIA. Railroads are being con.
structed to open up that region.
others are being planned. and capital.
lists from the North are making heavy
investments there, with view to de-
veloping the coal, iron and timber re
sources. In view of these facts it be.
hooves Baltimore to take hand in
this development that some Of the
vast wealth of that section may be
turned to this city. We will soon
see industrial towns spring up almost
as if by magic and the story of vast
fortunes and wonderful cities, as the
outgrowth of Alabama's progress
will be repeated in Southwest vir-
ginia and Eastern Kentucky. Hero
are found the great Elkhorn coal
fields. whose Goals are conceded to be
equal if not superior, for coke making
to the Connellsville coal hero are the
PocahoDtas fields, opened only about
three years ago, and whose output
this year will be about 1,5OO, 900 tons
of coal-probably the most rapid de-
velopment of new coal territory
recorded i'll the industrial history of
the world,--and added to these is
iron ore of remarkably fine quality
much of it pure Bessemer steel orc
in absolutely inexhaustible supply,
limestone in abundance, and every
thing needed to make this the center
of stupendous industrial progress.
Philadelphia capitalists appreciate
these facts and they are wisely ia
vesting millions of dollars there. The
Norfolk s. Western Railroad, which
is owned mainly by Philadelphians,
is leading in this movement and it is
now under contract to build 100
miles OF new road to meet similar
extension Of tho Louisville & Nash.
vile, and thus open up this magnif-
cent country. The new road project
ed by Col. A. s. Buford, 80 long the
president of the Richmond & Dan
vile, to run from some point in the
Valley of Virginia, probably Licking
ton, out through this country to
Memphis, is, we are informed, buying
hundreds of thousands of acres of
mineral lands along its proposed
route. 1t is stated that the money
has been secured for large part of
the entire line and that the work of
construction will be pushed ahead.
Our informant, who has lately return
ed from that section whore he has
purchased large tracts of mineral
lands for himself and others, says
that such people as the Innens of
New York, and their associates in
Southern investments, have several
hundred thousand acres of lands in
that section and that they are aiding
in pushing this new road through.
What is Baltimore doing to
gain fair share of the trade that
is to be developed eaby these
immense resources andk<the building
of the many protected lines of rail-
roads! TLis is ffeld comparatively
near OF h6ms, and Baltimore ought to
have Recommending influence in that
section. From present indications it
will not be many months before the
rush of investors to Southwest vir-
ginia and Eastern Kentucky will
cause decided advance in the values
of real estate there, and with this,
added to the building of railroads
and the construction of furnacey and
other iron works, prosperity greater
than the inhabitants ever dreamed of
will dawn upon that Countrywide
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